


bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints

by xuxikr



Series: One Month, One Fic: 2019 [4]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 00 line bffs, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Soulmate AU, birthday fic for renjun, donghyuck is clumsy, fluff!!!, kind of crude humor skjdsks, swearing and lots of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-23
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-11-28 14:42:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18209693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xuxikr/pseuds/xuxikr
Summary: In a world where your soulmate's bruises appear on your skin without the pain, Donghyuck is too prideful to let Renjun know that he’s the reason behind the oddly placed bruises that appear on his skin whenever Donghyuck does something without much thought.





	bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints

**Author's Note:**

> birthday fic for renjun! in this universe, your soulmate's bruises appear on you but it doesn't hurt you, however, it hurts them when you press on the bruises lol. happy birthday renjun!!!!! so sorry for the mistakes in this fic!!! i still have to edit it, as always OTL

Donghyuck has known about it for a while now.

In this world where people are connected to their soulmates through the appearance of bruises, there are a lot of problems that come with soulmate system.

Rarely do people ever meet their soulmates—and it’s okay if they don’t, they don’t die if they don’t end up with the person the universe fated them to be with. The bruises are a nuisance though, it makes people hyperaware of their soulmates’ situation despite not even knowing them.

For Donghyuck, however, it’s very different.

His soulmate is Huang Renjun, the Chinese student who transferred from Jilin to Seoul because he has family here, Jeno’s roommate who matches with him when it comes to humour and wit. Renjun is perfect and he believes—no, he _knows_ that he is his soulmate.

However, Donghyuck is too prideful to let Renjun know that he’s the reason behind the oddly placed bruises that appear on his skin whenever Donghyuck does something without much thought.

In other words, Donghyuck is a bit clumsy and Renjun judges his soulmate for it.

Although soulmates and they match in everything they do, Renjun is more open when it comes to his bruise _and_ his soulmate’s bruises. That’s how Donghyuck figured it out. Renjun’s always showing them a bruise that appeared on Donghyuck some time earlier, and Renjun’s not one bit shy to tell them about his own bruises that appear on Donghyuck a day later.

It doesn’t come as a shock to him that Renjun’s his soulmate, really—but he just… can’t bring himself to talk about it when no one even cares about the soulmate system anymore. It’s just an annoyance, otherwise disrupting normal lives.

“What the fuck,” comes Renjun’s deadpan voice as he exits from the bathroom, only a bathrobe thrown on over his otherwise naked body. He’s hanging in Jeno and Renjun’s room, because Jeno promised to help him with Biochemistry but Jeno went out to buy some ramyeon.

“What?” Donghyuck rolls over to his back where he’s lying on the floor with their study materials splayed over the carpet. Donghyuck tries not to ogle at the chest that’s sticking out from how haphazardly Renjun throws his bathrobe on. From the looks on Renjun’s face, Donghyuck has an inkling of what he’s about to say.

“You won’t fucking believe this.” He says, striding over to the couch and pulling up his robe to show enough leg. Donghyuck swallows hard.

There, on the expanse of Renjun’s pale thigh is a bruise the size of Donghyuck’s hand. It’s a familiar sight, because he literally has it on his leg right now after falling down the stairs earlier in the morning. It’s not his best day, really. “What the hell happened to my soulmate now?” He pokes at the bruise and Donghyuck holds back the sound of pain in his throat.

He squirms and Renjun gives him a weird look. “Don’t poke it.” He hisses.

Renjun pokes it again. “They deserve it.”

Donghyuck holds back the scream threatening to come out of his mouth. “Stop.” He bites.

“This is getting tiring.” Renjun says, letting his robe drop back to cover his leg. “I’m not getting hurt by it but it’s such a pain to look at.”

It’s a literal pain, Donghyuck thinks.

“Whoever my soulmate is, they’re pretty dumb.” Renjun stands back up to go to the shower.

“Maybe they just have bad motor control!” He calls.

It’s one thing to have your bruises be poked by your soulmate knowing full well that it will hurt you, but it’s another when they call you dumb for being clumsy. It’s not Renjun’s fault he doesn’t know though.

Renjun turns to him. “Then they should go see a doctor to see if it’s brain damage?”

Okay, low blow.

Donghyuck inhales. This is not the first time Renjun has spoken ill about him unknowingly, but that doesn’t mean it hurt any less.

No way will he ever tell Renjun that he’s his soulmate, especially since it hurts his pride like this. “You’re so mean, this is why you’ll never meet your soulmate.”

“Uh, okay? I don’t think anyone cares about the soulmate system anymore, Donghyuck.” Donghyuck finds the tremble in Renjun's voice suspicious, but he doesn't comment on it.

The topic of soulmates is dropped when Jeno enters the apartment with a big smile on his face. “I got extra shrimp! Fuck yeah!”

Renjun laughs but Donghyuck catches the lingering glance Renjun gives him. “Did you try and flirt with the staff again, Jeno?”

Jeno’s resounding denial follows the indictment. “N-no!”

Jeno goes on an explanation about how he’s just naturally charming, and the topic of soulmates is never brought up again throughout the duration of Donghyuck’s stay.

Donghyuck reminds himself to put some ice on his bruise.

 

 

He grew up thinking that the soulmate system is special, that the universe has fought for billions of years for people to be together—but as it turns out, growing up also means revising your entire schema.

He grows up to learn that people don’t always meet their soulmates, and if they do, it all ends in a tragic love story.

Bruises—of all things to share with the people fated to be with you. He distinctly remembers a monster hickey under his jugular despite not making out with anyone the night prior and he also remembers feeling the spike of jealousy when he sees Renjun with a hickey similar to his in he morning. Hiding his neck was a problem, but Renjun seemed to parade his with pride.

He doesn’t _care_ whoever Renjun makes out with, or whoever he chooses to experience things with. He just wants a little consideration.

Jaemin gives him a weird look as he enters the café with a turtleneck but Donghyuck beats him to an explanation. “Don’t ask.”

Jaemin laughs, but seems to make a conclusion without Donghyuck even saying anything. “It’s literally like 30 degrees—why are you wearing a turtleneck? Did you—ooh… you did, didn’t you?”

Donghyuck glares at him, taking out his card without breaking eye contact. “I want one macchiato, please.”

Jaemin rings up his order but doesn’t stop pestering him. He should’ve gone to a different café, preferably the one Jaemin doesn’t work for. “So who’s the lucky guy?”

Jaemin’s eyes light up mischievously, brows raising suggestively but Donghyuck breaks all his expectations and says, “it’s not _mine._ It’s my soulmate’s hickey.”

There’s silence, and then there’s Jaemin’s co-worker telling him that Donghyuck’s drink is ready. Donghyuck takes back his card and accepts his coffee, shuffling away to the farthest table from the counter so Jaemin can’t pester him. The look of surprise in Jaemin’s face isn’t at all shocking, after all, Donghyuck has never been open about his bruises.

If Jaemin ever pieces together that Renjun is his soulmate, he doesn’t care. Renjun’s not the only person in the entire world with a hickey, anyway.

Sitting in a table away from the counter saves Donghyuck from Jaemin’s questions—but the next problem comes into the building not even ten minutes after Donghyuck has settled down.

It’s Renjun, with a shirt that drops low enough to show the hint of a hickey in the middle of his throat. Donghyuck feels his own throat dry even if he’s literally drinking something right now.

Renjun waves at him with a smile before he heads to the counter to get his own drink too. Donghyuck _really_ wishes he had chosen a different café.

He watches as Jaemin and Renjun chat for a while, Jaemin teases Renjun about the hickey but doesn’t seem to make the connection between Donghyuck’s turtleneck and the bruise on Renjun and that’s great, fine, wonderful even.

When Renjun sits in front of him with a cup of tea, he greets him. “You whore.”

Renjun snorts. “What the fuck?”

Donghyuck points at the hickey. “I can’t believe you.”

Renjun, much to Donghyuck’s dismay, tugs down at the shirt to show Donghyuck the expanse of the very familiar bruise. He knows how it looks like, okay—he’s been staring at it all morning wondering who the fuck did that to his soulmate and why can’t it be him instead—

“It’s payback.”

Donghyuck makes a sound caught in his throat. “What?”

“Payback,” Renjun shrugs and sips his tea, “what? I’m the only one getting conspicuous bruises while my soulmate lives their live peacefully? Hell no!”

“So,” Donghyuck’s brain takes a while to process this information, “you made out with someone—made them give you a hickey… just so you can get revenge on your soulmate?”

Renjun nods, as if it’s no big deal. “Yes, and why are you wearing a turtleneck in this weather?”

Donghyuck shakes his head. “Don’t go off topic.”

“I just want to annoy them.” Renjun scratches the back of his ear. “I hope they’re annoyed.”

Lifting his coffee cup to his lips, Donghyuck mumbles around the rim. “Oh, they are.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Renjun stares at him for a moment, and Donghyuck doesn’t break the eye contact either. Renjun narrows his eyes at him, which Donghyuck mirrors. “You’re weird.”

Donghyuck retaliates. “You’re weirder.”

“You’re the weirdest.”

It’s not a surprise either that Donghyuck gets into another verbal fight with Renjun about who’s weirder or who’s the weirdest. Perhaps it’s a soulmate thing, but something inside Donghyuck oddly feels content no matter how pointless this debacle is.

His and Renjun’s souls are fated to debate, it seems.

 

 

“Are you listening, Donghyuck?” Jaemin snaps his fingers in front of him and it shakes Donghyuck back to his consciousness.

“What?”

“We’re planning Renjun’s surprise birthday party.” Jeno tells him, that big bright smile on his face again.

Donghyuck raises a brow. “A party? Inviting who? We’re literally his only friends.”

They’re sitting around a table at the café Jaemin works for. Technically, he’s still at work and is using work hours to talk to his friends. But the café is mostly empty except for them, so Donghyuck guesses it’s alright. Jaemin can get away with anything, anyway.

His statement about Renjun’s interpersonal relationships isn’t completely true. Renjun has a lot of friends, he has a lot of extra-curricular clubs but Donghyuck isn’t sure if he’d appreciate a surprise birthday party.

In his opinion (which, by the way, is very valid because he is his soulmate), Renjun would very much prefer just a simple celebration, just the four of them—and maybe Yangyang who hangs out with them sometimes.

Jaemin hits the back of his head with a newspaper roll he procures from nowhere. “Don’t be mean, if you must know—he’s quite the social butterfly.”

Jeno chimes in. “Right? Did you see his hickey—what a fox.”

Donghyuck clears his throat and shifts in his seat, obviously uncomfortable at the reminder of Renjun’s monster hickey. “Can we talk about the plan, please? I’m sleepy and Jaemin’s slacking off at work.”

“Okay,” Jaemin begins, pulling out the notepad he uses to take the customers’ orders but scribbles out his general plan for Renjun’s birthday instead, “first, the birthday cake.”

They take about half an hour to plan Renjun’s surprise birthday which involves Donghyuck distracting him for most of the day so Jeno and Jaemin can prepare the rest.

He figures it’s an easy task—plus spending most of the day with Renjun on his birthday doesn’t seem like a bad idea. He’ll make it a great day for him.

They conclude the ‘meeting’ when Renjun makes a phone call that he’s about to head down to the café and wants a big ass cup of tea when he arrives.

 

 

On the morning of Renjun’s birthday (which thankfully lands on a Saturday), Donghyuck wakes up to a start as he falls off his bed and hits his arm on his nightstand. Great, wonderful, terrific!

He immediately checks his arm and the familiar swollen feeling when he puts pressure upon the spot he hit against the wooden drawer tells him that this is going to bruise.

Renjun’s day hasn’t even started and he’s already ruined it. Great!

Jaemin’s text reminds him of his task even though he hasn’t forgotten it. Begrudgingly, he washes up and dresses his best even if he doesn’t want to admit it.

Jeno’s plan is easy. Donghyuck takes Renjun out grocery shopping for their rotting fridge in the excuse that Jeno’s parents are coming over to visit and he needs to show them that he’s living well and healthy.

Initially, Donghyuck has doubts, because his own grocery shopping barely takes an hour but when Jeno hands him an actual grocery list and shows his parents’ very real text message about visiting, Donghyuck’s doubts ebb away.

“I don’t understand why you’re doing this for Jeno.” Renjun says, slipping on his shoes when Donghyuck appears at their door to pick him up.

Donghyuck waits for Renjun to tie his shoelaces. “He helped me in Biochemistry.” It’s not a complete lie.

Although he doesn’t want to admit it, not showering Renjun with affection and telling him to have a happy birthday the first moment he sees him feels a little off. Curse Jaemin for thinking that pretending they don’t know it’s Renjun’s birthday is a great idea.

Renjun doesn’t seem to mind his friends’ ignorance about his birthday though. “It’s just biochemistry though?” Renjun stands up and makes the way out of their apartment, Donghyuck follows suit. “How can you be so bad at biochemistry?”

Donghyuck shoves his elbow at Renjun’s rib, causing Renjun to nudge him away in defence but the both of them laugh about it as they enter the elevator anyway. “Not everyone’s talented in steroid structures and amino acids.”

They stand next to each other in the elevator, elbows brushing. “Or maybe you need a better tutor.” Renjun suggests.

Donghyuck quirks a brow at him. “And who do you suggest?”

Renjun gives him a deadpan look as the elevator goes down. “I’m literally majoring in Chemistry, you buffoon.”

Donghyuck shoves him by the shoulder, regrets it immediately because he has forgotten about the bruise on that very spot. He winces, stepping away from Renjun and rubbing his arm.

“You alright?” Renjun asks, worried.

“I’m fine.” He says, hand dropping down. The look of concern in Renjun’s face is new and Donghyuck welcomes the warmth it spreads through his chest.

Donghyuck recovers quickly before it gets awkward (he misses the subtle way Renjun rubs on his own arm as well, right where Donghyuck’s bruise is). “So about the tutoring? Think you can do better than Jeno?”

“Oh, I don’t _think_. I _know_ I can do better than Jeno, why you didn’t ask me first to tutor you is beyond me.”

“Sorry, I stopped listening at ‘I don’t think’ and for one, I wholeheartedly agree.”

For the rest of the journey to the grocery store, Donghyuck and Renjun spend their time teasing each other, playful nudges thrown in here and there, and Renjun tries to put him in a chokehold at one point. Somehow, it ends with Donghyuck’s arm draped over Renjun’s shoulders as they make their way into the grocery store.

If Donghyuck thinks about it, he and Renjun are quite close. No— _very_. He knows for a fact that Renjun isn’t his best friend (it’s Mark, who’s a year older and who has moved to Canada for university, they still talk—sometimes), and he doesn’t know if the soulmate thing has something to do with how their personalities click with each other, but he can confidently say that he’s close with Renjun.

Being the kind of person who craves for affection, Renjun’s the only one who lets him hold his hand without it being weird, who lets him shower him with affection after another round of a verbal fight. They match well that way, fighting pointlessly but Donghyuck always ends up starfishing on top of Renjun at the end of the day—oddly, somehow, even if Renjun doesn’t know about it—it really does feel like his soul belongs with him.

Often, he wonders if Renjun feels the same.

“Donghyuck,” Renjun’s voice snaps him out from his reverie, “where’s the shopping list?”

 Startled, Donghyuck pulls his phone out from his pocket and it almost falls at his haste. Renjun catches it. “Nice save,” Donghyuck laughs.

Renjun shrugs as he hands him the phone. “What can I say? I am the better half of this team.”

Maybe he’s imagining it, but Donghyuck feels a weight to Renjun’s words which he promptly dismisses with, “whatever, go get us a cart.”

Surprisingly, grocery shopping with Renjun is easy. Even if they always try to one up each other and Donghyuck expected a lot of arguments about which brand is better than the other, their tastes collide in a perfect harmony. He never knew until now that Renjun enjoys the same breakfast cereal. People really do learn new things everyday.

Grocery shopping is one of the most mundane things to do alone or with someone—but for a split second as Renjun decides between strawberry or blueberry jam, with his eyebrows screwed together and lips pursed in a little pout, Donghyuck wonders what it’d be like to spend the rest of his life doing grocery shopping with Renjun.

For a split second, Donghyuck’s future flashes before his very eyes and Renjun is all he can see.

He feels his heart hammer in his chest. “J-just choose strawberry,” he says, clearing his throat.

Renjun turns to him, still that cute little pout on his lips. It’s not that Donghyuck wonders what it’d be like to kiss a pissy Renjun if he becomes his boyfriend, but that’s exactly what he’s thinking right now. “But I like both…”

Donghyuck gathers himself. “But Jaemin hates strawberry flavoured stuff so that means he won’t finish your jar of jam like the last time.”

Renjun internally debates it for a moment, before he agrees with Donghyuck and puts back the blueberry jam, placing the strawberry jam inside their cart. “Love how you’re the number one Jaemin anti.”

In no time, Renjun’s next to him, pushing the cart with him and laughing with eyes turned into the prettiest crescents. Donghyuck tries not to stare. “In my defense, he’s also the biggest Donghyuck anti which is honestly his loss.”

Renjun shakes his head. “I have to disagree,” he says with much confidence, “I am the biggest anti-Donghyuck.”

“No, I disagree.” Donghyuck tells him as they enter the aisle of soaps and shampoos. “You love me.” He teases.

Renjun fakes a gag and Donghyuck pretends to hit the back of his head. “Please wash your mouth with this when you get home.” Renjun says, handing him a random bottle of bodywash.

Despite themselves and their pretending to not get along, Donghyuck knows that Renjun loves him, maybe not in the way soulmates are supposed to love each other, but it’s a love that’s valid, nonetheless.

He gets a text message from Jeno just as they finish crossing out their grocery list. It reads, and he panics:

 **Jeno Lee:** the cake won’t be arriving for an hour!!!!!!!! can u hold him up until then???????

 **Donghyuck Lee:** what the FUCK that’s ur ONLY job

 **Jeno Lee:** they spelled his name wrong!!! Its not my fault

 **Donghyuck Lee:** oh m ygfucking fogdkddkdk fds

“Is everything alright?” Renjun asks once he’s done going over the grocery list. The both of them has taken this little trip a little too seriously and perhaps overfilled their cart. They’re using Jeno’s card anyway so they should be fine.

“Yeah,” Donghyuck’s voice comes out more choked than he has planned. He slips his phone back in his pocket, ignoring the incessant vibrating of Jeno’s apologetic messages. “Just… Jeno saying to not forget the toilet paper.” He lies easily.

Renjun doesn’t seem to buy it, but drops the subject and gestures to the huge pile of toilet paper in their cart. “Send him a photo, then.”

Donghyuck obliges, sends a photo of the toilet paper to Jeno in the midst of all the hashed apologies.

 **Donghyuck Lee:** [image]

 **Donghyuck Lee:** i had 2 tell renjun u were freaking out over toilet paper

 **Donghyuck Lee:** which fitsd cuz ur a piece of shit

 **Jeno Lee:** am i forgiven?

 **Jeno Lee:** i loveu

 **Jeno Lee:** u can take him out for snacks w my card

 **Donghyuck Lee:** wasn’t going to ask for ur permission in the first place anw

Donghyuck slots his phone back inside his pocket, dismissing everything else Jeno sends him. “You want some snacks?”

Renjun looks at him as they near the check-out counter. “Why?” There’s a hopeful glint to his eyes, almost anticipating and it breaks Donghyuck’s heart to keep on pretending he doesn’t know it’s his birthday.

“I’m starved,” he says and Renjun’s face falters, but picks up again once they get the same idea.

“Let’s use Jeno’s card?”

Donghyuck nods, truly his soulmate. “Of course.”

 

 

They’re eating some pastries in a café, Donghyuck with his iced chocolate and Renjun with his oolong tea, when Renjun comes back from the bathroom to complain.

“My soulmate,” he begins and Donghyuck tenses up, “is an absolute idiot.”

Donghyuck sips on his iced chocolate and feels the sudden sting of his shoulder when Renjun presses on his own shoulder. He bites on the straw. “They got another bruise! I can’t believe this.”

“Must be unfortunate.” He says, toying with his food as Renjun complains.

Renjun sheds his lilac cardigan, leaving him in his thin shirt and he rolls up his sleeve easily. “It looks bad.” He says.

Donghyuck fights the urge not to look at his own shoulder. He doesn’t even know that his bruise looks that bad. “Why are you suddenly concerned?” Donghyuck asks playfully, teasingly. “I thought you didn’t care about them?”

The cardigan finds its place back on Renjun. “I _do_ care about them.” Renjun clarifies and Donghyuck feels his heart rate pick up tenfold.

Renjun cares about his soulmate—about him.

“Oh?”

“Yeah! What kind of trouble are they getting into for them to get that many bruises in a span of a few short weeks?” He wonders out loud and Donghyuck sighs inwardly… he’s just really clumsy.

Donghyuck shrugs. “Beats me, but at least you know you have a soulmate, right?”

Renjun returns to his food, the hint of worry in his features doesn’t immediately go away and Donghyuck feels it tug on his heartstrings. He wants to tell Renjun he’s okay, that he’s not seriously hurt and he doesn’t have to worry—but he has buried himself too deep into this secret.

He feels like he’s drowning, sometimes.

Renjun looks up from his plate. “Do you?”

Donghyuck sputters. “Do I what?”

“Do you have a soulmate, I mean.”

Donghyuck’s brain goes on overdrive thinking about the appropriate response. Renjun is looking at him intensely, as if trying to see through him, to know the truth—and it makes Donghyuck panic. “I do.”

 Renjun lets out a sound of interest. “You’ve never talked about them…”

He shrugs. “Does it matter?”

Renjun blinks. “It doesn’t?”

Carefully, Donghyuck chooses his next words. “I just… what are the chances of meeting your soulmate, really?” He says, bracing himself as he notices the shade of disappointment loom over Renjun’s features. “I thought you didn’t care about the soulmate system?”

An indignant sound makes it way out of Renjun’s chest. “My soulmate has been a part of my soulmate since I was a child, Donghyuck. I’ve been worried about their well-being for nineteen years—of course I care… of course I want to meet them.”

The tension is thick, and Donghyuck drowns in it. Renjun wants to meet _him_. Renjun wants to be a part of his life. He doesn’t know how to stand now knowing that fact, knowing that he has hidden this from Renjun in the years they have known each other.

He feels bad, guilty. He feels like a terrible person.

Renjun isn’t talking to him, focuses his all his attention on his food. Donghyuck tries the same.The silence is saved by Jeno’s text.

 **Jeno Lee:** :DDDDDDDDDDD theee cake cameeee!!!!

 **Jeno Lee:** u gUYZ can come back!!! :DDDD

 **Jeno Lee:** but ujust hv to text me ok

 **Donghyuck Lee:** okk <3

Donghyuck turns to Renjun. “Wanna come back to your place now?”

Renjun exhales. “Please.”

 

 

Perhaps the grocery store decoy is not the best idea from his friends because now they’re hauling four bags of groceries into the apartment. If Renjun drops his bags of groceries at the surprise, Donghyuck won’t take any responsibility for any losses.

But of course, Renjun is Renjun and when he opens the door to reveal all of his social contacts screaming ‘Happy Birthday’ at him! His grip on the grocery bags don’t go lax, instead, he jumps in surprise and ends up stumbling back against Donghyuck.

It’s a sight to behold, really.

Renjun tries not to cry as Jaemin leads the happy birthday song, tries not to cry as his little brother, Chenle, appears from the crowd. It’s a touching sight, and Donghyuck loves the look of absolute happiness on Renjun’s face. This is what he wants, for Renjun to be showered with love and affection—everyday and not just on his birthday.

But as every party goes, Renjun gets whisked away from Donghyuck as the celebration proceeds. He’s left to arrange the groceries in the kitchen, with people coming in and out to get more food and more drinks. This is what Renjun deserves, Donghyuck thinks. Surrounded with friends, people that love him, but he can’t get the image of a sombre Renjun out of his head.

He wonders, just a little, if he can make Renjun a little bit happier by being honest.

 

 

As every party goes, someone gets knocked out.

But Donghyuck gets knocked out for a semi-alcoholic reason.

It’s for the worst, reason—actually. He’s a bit reserved during the entire party, but accepts drinks from Renjun’s friends anyway. Yangyang gives him a five second shot that turns into fifteen and he swears he’s seeing double.

Okay, so, perhaps he’s had too much to drink anyway. But he keeps accepting shots, feeling himself feel lighter and more relaxed with every shot that goes through his system.

Somehow, he finds his way back to the kitchen because he’s fucking parched. Delight courses through his veins when he sees Renjun by the sink, washing his hands or something. Donghyuck smiles dopily, arms outstretched as he approaches Renjun.

Then, he wraps his arms around Renjun’s middle, pressing a wet kiss to the base of his neck but is met with Renjun’s fast reflexes, his elbow to his eye.

“Oh my god! Donghyuck!” Is the last thing he hears before everything goes black.

When he wakes up, he feels the onslaught of a hangover and his eye pulsating in his skull. He rubs his eye and winces when he feels the familiar pain of a bruise.

“Donghyuck?” Is the first thing he hears, eyes still closed but he feels the gentle strokes of Renjun’s fingers to his hair. What’s going on?

“Yeah?” He whines, opening his good eye. It takes a while before his vision adjusts, and when it’s clear enough to see Renjun, there’s a bruise on his eye where Donghyuck feels the throbbing on his own. Nice.

“You’re awake…” Renjun’s voice trembles. “Do you need anything? Water? Pain killers?”

Renjun rises from his seat frantically, but Donghyuck pulls him back down. “No… it’s okay.” He sits up now, careful.

Renjun sinks back, looking at Donghyuck with the most vulnerable expression Donghyuck has seen on him. The black eye, the bruise on his face does nothing to mar his looks. To Donghyuck at least.

He’s not used to being silent with Renjun, so he decides to make a joke. “That bruise looks good on you.”

Renjun pretends to hit him, and he pretends to cower in response. “It’s not funny, Donghyuck.”

Renjun grabs the ice pack from the nightstand Donghyuck didn’t notice earlier. “Come here.” He orders and Donghyuck scoots to be nearer to him.

He wonders why Renjun hasn’t castrated him yet for lying to him, for placing a wet kiss on the base of his neck, for overstepping his boundaries and for overall being a terrible person, a terrible friend. But everything that’s remotely similar to worry washes away from him when Renjun presses the ice pack delicately against his bruise.

“Sorry for hitting you… you shouldn’t have attacked me like that.” Renjun mumbles, avoiding his eyes.

Donghyuck chuckles. “It’s okay,” then, he swallows, “you shouldn’t be the one apologizing.”

Renjun presses a little harder on his bruise. _Ouch_. “I know you had your reason as to why you didn’t tell me, I’m not going to ask if you don’t want to tell me.”

“But it’s a dumb reason.” He says as he tentatively wraps his hand around Renjun’s wrist.

Renjun exhales shakily. “I expected that, you’re dumb.”

Donghyuck’s chest quivers with laughter. “You’re not mad at me?”

“I am.” Renjun punctuates this with a press to his bruise. Donghyuck accepts this. “But… I don’t know, I guess I expected this… I kind of had my suspicions.”

“Suspicions?” Donghyuck asks. “How… I was so good at hiding my bruises…”

Renjun begins to explain, rolling his eyes. “You’re not so subtle… Jeno told me you fell down the stairs a few weeks ago after that big ass bruise appeared. Is that okay now?”

Donghyuck nods and Renjun continues. “And then the hickey…” Renjun sounds unsure this time but Donghyuck cocks a brow at him. “You think I don’t hear you mumbling under you breath?”

“I hoped you wouldn’t.”

“Well, I heard you loud and clear. If you want to know who gave that hickey, it’s—”

“I did not ask.” Emphasis on not.

Renjun laughs, throwing his head back. “I hope you were annoyed, you’ve been annoying me my whole life!” Renjun drops the icepack now, leaning back against his chair. “I can’t believe this… all this time… it’s you…”

Donghyuck’s eyes fall to his lap. “Just me.” He mumbles. “I hope you’re not disappointed that it’s just me.”

“Just you?” Renjun says and disbelief rings in the tone of his voice. Donghyuck looks at him with wide eyes, head tilted to the side. “Just you… you’re… you’re _you_! I’m disappointed I didn’t know sooner… but I’m not disappointed that it’s you…”

Donghyuck feels heat rush to his cheeks, fighting the smile that attempts to break his features. He loses. “What do you mean?”

“I mean…” Renjun breathes out through his nose. “I mean… I mean that I like… that you’re my soulmate.”

“Do you like me?”

Renjun groans and Donghyuck laughs. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding—this doesn’t have to change anything… you know… if you don't want them to.” Donghyuck offers but the glare Renjun sends him makes him shiver.

“But what if I do?”

“Oh?”

“Donghyuck, don’t make that face.”

“I’m not making any face.”

“Shut up—“ and Donghyuck quiets down, “what I’m saying is that—I think… we match well and… it won’t be bad if we… you know… do what soulmates are supposed to do…”

Donghyuck stares at Renjun and Renjun stares back at him with much intensity.

“Okay.” He mumbles, biting down the smile. “Okay…”

“Okay?” Renjun asks. And somehow, this really is better than everything he has ever imagined. He wonders why he ever doubted Renjun.

Donghyuck nods. “Okay.”

“Oh, happy birthday, by the way.” He adds.

Renjun laughs and slams down on the bed next to Donghyuck, cuddling close to him. “I know you didn’t get me any gifts.”

Donghyuck puts an arm around him, tucking him close. “You already had a lot of gifts, the whole party was for you.”

“But the party died down two hours ago… Jeno and Jaemin are passed out in the living room.”

They share a look, Renjun’s brow raising at Donghyuck to which he returns with a mischievous smile. Renjun reaches over to the drawer next to Donghyuck, so close in proximity to him that he holds his breath. He returns to his position with a marker in hand. “Wanna do something fun?”

Donghyuck snatches the marker from him. “One step ahead of you, sweetheart.”

"Sweetheart?”

“Sugar?”

“Stop.”

“Cutiepie?”

“No!”

 

 

They discover a week later that Jeno and Jaemin are soulmates but have decided to remain platonic.

“You’re soulmates?” Renjun asks, trying to clarify Jaemin’s earlier statements about annoying soulmates. They’re gathered around Renjun and Jeno’s apartment again, for their routine movie nights.

“Uh, yeah? You guys didn’t know?”

Donghyuck drapes his arm over Renjun, cuddling him close. They’ve been dating (Donghyuck still giggles like a schoolboy when he thinks about that—dating, he’s dating his soulmate!) for a week now, and everything’s going swimmingly. Things are the same, but different, different meaning he can kiss Renjun now and he can hold his hand without it being weird.

Jeno interjects the conversation, popping some popcorn in his mouth as Jaemin chooses the movie. “We knew when we were like… five.”

Jaemin sits next to Jeno. “And then we dated when we were like fifteen… grossest thing I’ve ever done, honestly.”

Renjun reaches out to play with his fingers, Donghyuck’s stomach flutters at the simplest gesture. Warmth spreads from his fingertips to his entire body at the mindless action. They continue to listen.

“So now you’re best friends?” Donghyuck asks, head finding purchase on Renjun’s shoulder.

“Sometimes, soulmates can be platonic you know.” Jaemin supplies, sparing them a glance. “But it’s really nice you guys ended up together.”

Donghyuck turns to Renjun and he knows he has that lovestruck look in his eyes because Jeno gags as Jaemin groans. Renjun however, only looks at him, mirroring the fondness in his gaze. “I got lucky, I guess.”

Renjun holds his hand, brings it up to press a kiss to the back of it. “If you weren’t so prideful, not wanting me to know that you’re a clumsy dumbass, we would’ve been together sooner.”

Jeno guffaws, Donghyuck glares at him. “Okay, I said I was _sorry!_ When will you let me live that down?”

Renjun pats his cheek, strokes his thumb across the apples of his cheek. “Never.” Then, a peck to the tip of his nose, and another to the side of his lips. “You’re stuck with me forever, sweetheart.”

Jeno gags again. “Please, stop… can we just watch this movie?”

Jaemin shakes his head disapprovingly at them, but the more they get protests from their friends, the more Renjun and Donghyuck meld against each other.

As they watch Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Renjun whispers to him his thoughts about parallel universes and alternate universes—Donghyuck decides that he’ll love Renjun in any universe.

They’re soulmates, after all. Their souls are fated to be together.

**Author's Note:**

> cc: [xuxikr](https://curiouscat.me/xuxikr)  
> twt: [@renduckie](https://twitter.com/renduckie)


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